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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Getting a License

  • 28-11-2019 3:02pm
    #1
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Just spotted this forum on the main page and thought I'd share my recent expierence of getting a license, I didn't look in here before hand probably would have made my life easier.

    A few of my friends have been on to me for ages to go shooting with them, they are involved in a local gun club and I go clay pidgeon shooting with them once a year, thanks to my mis-spent youth playing video games I'm an OK shot at clays. the oppotunity to get a "free" shot gun came up and they told me to just get the license so I started the process.

    I filled out the form as best I could, I didn't know how many rounds of ammo to have so I left that blank, for references I put down the Chairman and Secetary of the gun club, I also included my gun club membership. I submitted the form to the local station.

    A couple of days later a very pleasant guard called me to go through my application. They asked why I left the ammo blank, I said because I didn't know how many I wanted and told them that chances were that I'd never have any in the house, the advised to put down 250 in case I ever needed any and that that was the minimum amount that would normally be sold in bulk. They also asked about competency of handling a gun, I explained that I was a member of a gun club and went clay pidgeon shooting, they suggested I do a handling course with a local gun dealer and gave me his details, I rang him and did the course that evening. I then dropped off the "cert" to the station.

    About a week later I got a letter in the post, I have to admit getting a letter on Garda headed paper fightened me and the first thought was that I was speeding, nope, it was informing me I was successful in my application. Couple of days later I went into the post office with the form and my credit card, paid the fee and then 3 days later my license was in the post to me.

    All in all I found the process fairly straight forward, I'm guessing being a member of a gun club made things easier for me.


Comments

  • #2
    ZiabR
    Registered Users Posts: 5,575 ✭✭✭ZiabR


    That is shockingly fast. All in all you went from filling in the forms incorrectly to getting a licence in 2 weeks...

    Many people here have been shooting for years and fill in their forms 100% completed, yet are left waiting weeks/months.

    Welcome to the sport and good luck with the gun. Can I ask what County/Station you are linked with?


  • #3
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    ZiabR wrote: »
    That is shockingly fast. All in all you went from filling in the forms incorrectly to getting a licence in 2 weeks...

    Many people here have been shooting for years and fill in their forms 100% completed, yet are left waiting weeks/months.

    Welcome to the sport and good luck with the gun. Can I ask what County/Station you are linked with?

    I'm in Clare :p Ennis station.

    I was probably longer getting around to getting photos taken than I was waiting for the whole process to finish. Have to say they were very helpful and quick in the station, I thought it'd take ages for them to get back to me. I have been Garda vetted a few times recently for different clubs so that might have speeded things up a bit.


  • #4
    ZiabR
    Registered Users Posts: 5,575 ✭✭✭ZiabR


    Very good, what gun did you end up with? O/U or S/S?


  • #5
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    It's an over under, I'd love to be able to give you more details but I haven't actually gotten it yet.


  • #6
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,451 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    Nice to hear of friendly Gardaí (the number of good far outweigh the bad, but unfortunately we hear more about the bad due to our constant interactions with the same few), and someone that had a good experience.

    Too many people are put off shooting by the process and for it to be made more difficult by AGS or other factors results in people just not bothering to take up the sport.


    Congratulations on the gun, the process and while you're not really new to the sport, welcome aboard regardless. Hope you have many years of safe and fun shooting.
    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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  • #7
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    I was talking to 1 of the lads this evening and I asked was it very quick that I got my license and they said that the Guards in Ennis are doing a great job, there's 3 of them doing it and it's overseen by a Sergeant who talks to all the gun clubs regularly. My friend reckons that cause I was a member of a gun club before I applied, that I gave a copy of my membership card and the fact that I had 2 officers of the club vouch for me would have made it a rubber stamp job, the fact that I had a clear Garda vetting and did the handling course made it sail through.


  • #8
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,451 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    You done everything correct, and had all your Ducks lined up before applying. This, the membership and the gun owning references really did make it a "rubber stamp" application.

    The one fault, and it's pedantic to the point of pettiness, is the competence course. I have a thing about these courses and with your previous history i wouldn't have said one was necessary, but regardless it is hardly a small bump in an otherwise smooth trip.
    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



  • #9
    oldgit1897
    Closed Accounts Posts: 286 ✭✭oldgit1897


    I was talking to a retired super a while ago, who is a shooter himself. He said so long as someone had all their ducks in a row and was not a chancer, he would sign off very quickly. Refreshing in this day and age, hopefully we are moving away from the old "I don't like guns, so i am going to be a pita to everybody that applies for one".


  • #10
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,920 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    I've a feeling if I got a letter from the gun club that I was competant in managing a gun I'd have been fine, after all all yerman did was print out a word file with my name in it


  • #11
    freddieot
    Registered Users Posts: 924 ✭✭✭freddieot


    You were very lucky and sadly it does not always work that way. The frustrating thing is that the experience is very random and little to do in many (not all) cases with the quality or detail of the applications or the individual involved.

    In know members of AGS, shooting for years, that have waited longer than that for licences and I presume they had their ducks in a row.


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  • #12
    ZiabR
    Registered Users Posts: 5,575 ✭✭✭ZiabR


    oldgit1897 wrote: »
    I was talking to a retired super a while ago, who is a shooter himself. He said so long as someone had all their ducks in a row and was not a chancer, he would sign off very quickly. Refreshing in this day and age, hopefully we are moving away from the old "I don't like guns, so i am going to be a pita to everybody that applies for one".

    I do get the impression that the reason for the hold ups are as you have mentioned before. 1) The garda or super in charge has no time for guns and makes it as difficult as possible for people to get one or 2) no one in the station wants anything to do with the paper work around applications so they are left piled on desk until people start complaining.


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